TajikistanTajikistan (/tɑːˈdʒiːkɪstɑːn/ ( listen),
/təˈdʒiːkɪstæn/, or /tæˈdʒiːkiːstæn/; Tajik:
Тоҷикистон [tɔːd͡ʒikɪsˈtɔːn]), officially the
Republic of
TajikistanTajikistan (Tajik: Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон,
Çumhuriji Toçikiston), is a mountainous, landlocked country in
Central AsiaCentral Asia with an estimated population of 8.7 million people as of
2016, and an area of 143,100 km2 (55,300 sq mi). It is
bordered by
AfghanistanAfghanistan to the south,
UzbekistanUzbekistan to the west,
KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan to the north, and
ChinaChina to the east. Traditional homelands
of
Tajik peopleTajik people included present-day Tajikistan,
AfghanistanAfghanistan and
Uzbekistan.
The territory that now constitutes
TajikistanTajikistan was previously home to
several ancient cultures, including the city of Sarazm[6] of the
NeolithicNeolithic and the Bronze Age, and was later home to kingdoms ruled by
people of different faiths and cultures, including the Oxus
civilisation, Andronovo culture, Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity,
Zoroastrianism,
ManichaeismManichaeism and Islam. The area has been ruled by
numerous empires and dynasties, including the Achaemenid Empire,
Sasanian Empire, Hephthalite Empire,
SamanidSamanid Empire, Mongol Empire,
Timurid dynasty, the Russian Empire, and subsequently the Soviet
Union, upon whose dissolution in 1991
TajikistanTajikistan became an independent
nation. A civil war was fought almost immediately after independence,
lasting from 1992 to 1997. Since the end of the war, newly established
political stability and foreign aid have allowed the country's economy
to grow. Like all other Central Asian neighbouring states, the
country, led by President
Emomali RahmonEmomali Rahmon since 1994, has been
criticised for authoritarian leadership, lack of religious freedom,
corruption and widespread violations of human rights by a number of
non-governmental organizations.
TajikistanTajikistan is a presidential republic consisting of four provinces.
Most of Tajikistan's 8.7 million people belong to the Tajik ethnic
group, who speak Tajik (a dialect of Persian). Many
TajiksTajiks also speak
Russian as their second language. While the state is constitutionally
secular,
IslamIslam is practiced by 98% of the population. The
Gorno-BadakhshanGorno-Badakhshan Oblast of
TajikistanTajikistan despite its sparse population is
home to incredible linguistic diversity where Rushani, Shughni,
Ishkashimi, Wakhi and Tajik number among the languages spoken.
Mountains cover more than 90% of the country. It has a transition
economy that is highly dependent on remittances, aluminium and cotton
production.
TajikistanTajikistan is a member of the United Nations, CIS, OSCE,
OIC, ECO, SCO and CSTO as well as an
NATONATO PfP partner.

Main article: Tajik people
TajikistanTajikistan means the "Land of the Tajiks". The suffix "-stan" is
Persian for "place of"[7] or "country"[8] and Tajik is, most likely,
the name of a pre-Islamic (before the seventh century A.D.) tribe.[9]
According to the Library of Congress's 1997 Country Study of
Tajikistan, it is difficult to definitively state the origins of the
word "Tajik" because the term is "embroiled in twentieth-century
political disputes about whether Turkic or Iranian peoples were the
original inhabitants of Central Asia."[9]
TajikistanTajikistan appeared as Tadjikistan or Tadzhikistan in English prior to
1991. This is due to a transliteration from the Russian:
"Таджикистан". In Russian, there is no single letter j to
represent the phoneme /ʤ/ and дж, or dzh, is used. Tadzhikistan is
the most common alternate spelling and is widely used in English
literature derived from Russian sources.[10] "Tadjikistan" is the
spelling in French and can occasionally be found in English language
texts. The way of writing
TajikistanTajikistan in the Perso-Arabic script is:
تاجیکستان.
History[edit]
Main article: History of Tajikistan
Early history[edit]
See also:
SamanidSamanid Empire
Cultures in the region have been dated back to at least the 4th
millennium BCE, including the
Bronze AgeBronze Age Bactria–Margiana
Archaeological Complex, the Andronovo cultures and the pro-urban site
of Sarazm, a UNESCO World Heritage site.[11]
The earliest recorded history of the region dates back to about 500
BCE when much, if not all, of modern
TajikistanTajikistan was part of the
Achaemenid Empire.[9] Some authors have also suggested that in the 7th
and 6th century BCE parts of modern Tajikistan, including territories
in the Zeravshan valley, formed part of
KambojasKambojas before it became part
of the Achaemenid Empire.[12] After the region's conquest by Alexander
the Great it became part of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, a successor
state of Alexander's empire. Northern
TajikistanTajikistan (the cities of
KhujandKhujand and Panjakent) was part of Sogdia, a collection of city-states
which was overrun by
ScythiansScythians and
YuezhiYuezhi nomadic tribes around 150
BCE. The
Silk RoadSilk Road passed through the region and following the
expedition of Chinese explorer
Zhang QianZhang Qian during the reign of Wudi
(141–87 BCE) commercial relations between Han
ChinaChina and Sogdiana
flourished.[13][14] Sogdians played a major role in facilitating trade
and also worked in other capacities, as farmers, carpetweavers,
glassmakers, and woodcarvers.[15]
The Kushan Empire, a collection of
YuezhiYuezhi tribes, took control of the
region in the first century CE and ruled until the 4th century CE
during which time Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Zoroastrianism,
and
ManichaeismManichaeism were all practised in the region.[16] Later the
Hephthalite Empire, a collection of nomadic tribes, moved into the
region and Arabs brought
IslamIslam in the early eighth century.[16]
Central AsiaCentral Asia continued in its role as a commercial crossroads, linking
China, the steppes to the north, and the Islamic heartland.

19th-century painting of lake
ZorkulZorkul and a local Tajik inhabitant

It was temporarily under the control of the
Tibetan empireTibetan empire and Chinese
from 650–680 and then under the control of the Umayyads in 710. The
SamanidSamanid Empire, 819 to 999, restored Persian control of the region and
enlarged the cities of
SamarkandSamarkand and
BukharaBukhara (both cities are today
part of Uzbekistan) which became the cultural centres of
IranIran and the
region was known as Khorasan. The
Kara-Khanid KhanateKara-Khanid Khanate conquered
TransoxaniaTransoxania (which corresponds approximately with modern-day
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern
KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan and southwest Kazakhstan)
and ruled between 999–1211.[17][18] Their arrival in Transoxania
signalled a definitive shift from Iranian to Turkic predominance in
Central Asia,[19] but gradually the Kara-khanids became assimilated
into the Perso-
ArabArabMuslimMuslim culture of the region.[20]
During Genghis Khan's invasion of Khwarezmia in the early 13th century
the
Mongol EmpireMongol Empire took control over nearly all of Central Asia. In
less than a century the
Mongol EmpireMongol Empire broke up and modern Tajikistan
came under the rule of the Chagatai Khanate.
TamerlaneTamerlane created the
Timurid dynasty and took control of the region in the 14th century.
Modern
TajikistanTajikistan fell under the rule of the Khanate of
BukharaBukhara during
the 16th century and with the empire's collapse in the 18th century it
came under the rule of both the Emirate of
BukharaBukhara and Khanate of
Kokand. The Emirate of
BukharaBukhara remained intact until the 20th century
but during the 19th century, for the second time in world history, a
European power (the Russian Empire) began to conquer parts of the
region.
Russian Tajikistan[edit]
See also: The Great Game, Russian conquest of Turkestan, and Russian
Turkestan
Russian
ImperialismImperialism led to the Russian Empire's conquest of Central
AsiaAsia during the late 19th century's Imperial Era. Between 1864 and
1885,
RussiaRussia gradually took control of the entire territory of Russian
Turkestan, the
TajikistanTajikistan portion of which had been controlled by the
Emirate of
BukharaBukhara and Khanate of Kokand.
RussiaRussia was interested in
gaining access to a supply of cotton and in the 1870s attempted to
switch cultivation in the region from grain to cotton (a strategy
later copied and expanded by the Soviets).[citation needed] By 1885
Tajikistan's territory was either ruled by the
Russian EmpireRussian Empire or its
vassal state, the Emirate of Bukhara, nevertheless
TajiksTajiks felt little
Russian influence.[citation needed]
During the late 19th Century the Jadidists established themselves as
an Islamic social movement throughout the region. Although the
Jadidists were pro-modernization and not necessarily anti-Russian, the
RussiansRussians viewed the movement as a threat.[citation needed] Russian
troops were required to restore order during uprisings against the
Khanate of KokandKhanate of Kokand between 1910 and 1913. Further violence occurred in
July 1916 when demonstrators attacked Russian soldiers in
KhujandKhujand over
the threat of forced conscription during World War I. Despite Russian
troops quickly bringing
KhujandKhujand back under control, clashes continued
throughout the year in various locations in Tajikistan.[citation
needed]
Soviet Tajikistan[edit]
Main articles:
Basmachi movementBasmachi movement and Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic

Soviet negotiations with basmachi, 1921

After the
Russian RevolutionRussian Revolution of 1917 guerrillas throughout Central
Asia, known as basmachi, waged a war against
BolshevikBolshevik armies in a
futile attempt to maintain independence. The Bolsheviks prevailed
after a four-year war, in which mosques and villages were burned down
and the population heavily suppressed. Soviet authorities started a
campaign of secularisation. Practising Islam, Judaism, and
ChristianityChristianity was discouraged and repressed, and many mosques,
churches, and synagogues were closed.[21] As a consequence of the
conflict and Soviet agriculture policies, Central Asia, Tajikistan
included, suffered a famine that claimed many lives.[22]
In 1924, the
Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicTajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as
a part of Uzbekistan, but in 1929 the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
(Tajik SSR) was made a separate constituent republic; however, the
predominantly ethnic Tajik cities of
SamarkandSamarkand and
BukharaBukhara remained in
the Uzbek SSR. Between 1927 and 1934, collectivisation of agriculture
and a rapid expansion of cotton production took place, especially in
the southern region.[23] Soviet collectivisation policy brought
violence against peasants and forced resettlement occurred throughout
Tajikistan. Consequently, some peasants fought collectivisation and
revived the
BasmachiBasmachi movement. Some small scale industrial development
also occurred during this time along with the expansion of irrigation
infrastructure.[23]
Two rounds of Soviet purges directed by Moscow (1927–1934 and
1937–1938) resulted in the expulsion of nearly 10,000 people, from
all levels of the Communist Party of Tajikistan.[24] Ethnic Russians
were sent in to replace those expelled and subsequently Russians
dominated party positions at all levels, including the top position of
first secretary.[24] Between 1926 and 1959 the proportion of Russians
among Tajikistan's population grew from less than 1% to 13%.[25]
Bobojon Ghafurov, Tajikistan's First Secretary of the Communist Party
of
TajikistanTajikistan from 1946–1956 was the only Tajikistani politician of
significance outside of the country during the Soviet Era.[26] He was
followed in office by
Tursun Uljabayev (1956–61), Jabbor Rasulov
(1961–1982), and
Rahmon NabiyevRahmon Nabiyev (1982–1985, 1991–1992).
TajiksTajiks began to be conscripted into the Soviet Army in 1939 and during
World War IIWorld War II around 260,000 Tajik citizens fought against Germany,
Finland and Japan. Between 60,000 (4%)[27] and 120,000 (8%)[28] of
Tajikistan's 1,530,000 citizens were killed during World War II.[29]
Following the war and Stalin's reign attempts were made to further
expand the agriculture and industry of Tajikistan.[26] During
1957–58 Nikita Khrushchev's
Virgin Lands CampaignVirgin Lands Campaign focused attention
on Tajikistan, where living conditions, education and industry lagged
behind the other Soviet Republics.[26] In the 1980s,
TajikistanTajikistan had
the lowest household saving rate in the USSR,[30] the lowest
percentage of households in the two top per capita income groups,[31]
and the lowest rate of university graduates per 1000 people.[32] By
the late 1980s Tajik nationalists were calling for increased rights.
Real disturbances did not occur within the republic until 1990. The
following year, the
Soviet UnionSoviet Union collapsed, and
TajikistanTajikistan declared
its independence.

Tajik men and women rally on Ozodi square in
DushanbeDushanbe shortly after
independence, 1992.

The nation almost immediately fell into civil war that involved
various factions fighting one another; these factions were often
distinguished by clan loyalties.[33] More than 500,000 residents fled
during this time because of persecution, increased poverty and better
economic opportunities in the West or in other former Soviet
republics.[34]
Emomali RahmonEmomali Rahmon came to power in 1992, defeating former
prime minister
Abdumalik Abdullajanov in a November presidential
election with 58% of the vote.[35] The elections took place shortly
after the end of the war, and
TajikistanTajikistan was in a state of complete
devastation. The estimated dead numbered over 100,000. Around 1.2
million people were refugees inside and outside of the country.[33] In
1997, a ceasefire was reached between Rahmon and opposition parties
under the guidance of Gerd D. Merrem,
SpecialSpecial Representative to the
Secretary General, a result widely praised as a successful United
Nations peacekeeping initiative. The ceasefire guaranteed 30% of
ministerial positions would go to the opposition.[36] Elections were
held in 1999, though they were criticised by opposition parties and
foreign observers as unfair and Rahmon was re-elected with 98% of the
vote. Elections in 2006 were again won by Rahmon (with 79% of the
vote) and he began his third term in office. Several opposition
parties boycotted the 2006 election and the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticised it, although observers
from the
Commonwealth of Independent StatesCommonwealth of Independent States claimed the elections were
legal and transparent.[37][38] Rahmon's administration came under
further criticism from the OSCE in October 2010 for its censorship and
repression of the media. The OSCE claimed that the Tajik Government
censored Tajik and foreign websites and instituted tax inspections on
independent printing houses that led to the cessation of printing
activities for a number of independent newspapers.[39]
Russian border troops were stationed along the Tajik–Afghan border
until summer 2005. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, French troops
have been stationed at the
DushanbeDushanbe Airport in support of air
operations of NATO's
International Security Assistance ForceInternational Security Assistance Force in
Afghanistan.
United States ArmyUnited States Army and Marine Corps personnel
periodically visit
TajikistanTajikistan to conduct joint training missions of up
to several weeks duration. The
Government of IndiaGovernment of India rebuilt the Ayni
Air Base, a military airport located 15 km southwest of Dushanbe,
at a cost of $70 million, completing the repairs in September
2010.[40] It is now the main base of the
TajikistanTajikistan air force. There
have been talks with
RussiaRussia concerning use of the Ayni facility,[41]
and
RussiaRussia continues to maintain a large base on the outskirts of
Dushanbe.[42]
In 2010, there were concerns among Tajik officials that Islamic
militarism in the east of the country was on the rise following the
escape of 25 militants from a Tajik prison in August, an ambush that
killed 28 Tajik soldiers in the
Rasht Valley in September,[43] and
another ambush in the valley in October that killed 30 soldiers,[44]
followed by fighting outside
GharmGharm that left 3 militants dead. To date
the country's Interior Ministry asserts that the central government
maintains full control over the country's east, and the military
operation in the
Rasht Valley was concluded in November 2010.[45]
However, fighting erupted again in July 2012.[46] In 2015,
RussiaRussia sent
more troops to Tajikistan.[47]
In May 2015, Tajikistan's national security suffered a serious setback
when Colonel Gulmurod Khalimov, commander of the special-purpose
police unit (OMON) of the Interior Ministry, defected to the Islamic
State.[48]
Politics[edit]
Main article: Politics of Tajikistan
See also: Elections in Tajikistan, Foreign relations of Tajikistan,
Military of Tajikistan, and Human rights in Tajikistan

The Palace of Nations in Dushanbe

Almost immediately after independence,
TajikistanTajikistan was plunged into a
civil war that saw various factions, allegedly[according to whom?]
backed by
RussiaRussia and Iran,[citation needed] fighting one another. All
but 25,000 of the more than 400,000 ethnic Russians, who were mostly
employed in industry, fled to Russia. By 1997, the war had cooled
down, and a central government began to take form, with peaceful
elections in 1999.

"Longtime observers of
TajikistanTajikistan often characterize the country as
profoundly averse to risk and skeptical of promises of reform, a
political passivity they trace to the country’s ruinous civil war,"
Ilan Greenberg wrote in a news article in
The New York TimesThe New York Times just
before the country's November 2006 presidential election.[49]
TajikistanTajikistan is officially a republic, and holds elections for the
presidency and parliament, operating under a presidential system. It
is, however, a dominant-party system, where the People's Democratic
Party of
TajikistanTajikistan routinely has a vast majority in Parliament.
Emomalii RahmonEmomalii Rahmon has held the office of President of Tajikistan
continually since November 1994. The Prime Minister is Kokhir
Rasulzoda, the First Deputy Prime Minister is Matlubkhon Davlatov and
the two Deputy Prime Ministers are Murodali Alimardon and Ruqiya
Qurbanova.
The parliamentary elections of 2005 aroused many accusations from
opposition parties and international observers that President Emomalii
Rahmon corruptly manipulates the election process and unemployment.
The most recent elections, in February 2010, saw the ruling PDPT lose
four seats in Parliament, yet still maintain a comfortable majority.
The
Organization for Security and Co-operation in EuropeOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe election
observers said the 2010 polling "failed to meet many key OSCE
commitments" and that "these elections failed on many basic democratic
standards."[50][51] The government insisted that only minor violations
had occurred, which would not affect the will of the Tajik
people.[50][51]
The presidential election held on 6 November 2006 was boycotted by
"mainline" opposition parties, including the 23,000-member Islamic
Renaissance Party. Four remaining opponents "all but endorsed the
incumbent", Rahmon.[49]
TajikistanTajikistan gave
IranIran its support in Iran's
membership bid to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, after a
meeting between the Tajik President and the Iranian foreign
minister.[52]
Freedom of the press is ostensibly officially guaranteed by the
government, but independent press outlets remain restricted, as does a
substantial amount of web content. According to the Institute for War
& Peace Reporting, access is blocked to local and foreign websites
including avesta.tj, Tjknews.com, ferghana.ru, centrasia.ru and
journalists are often obstructed from reporting on controversial
events. In practice, no public criticism of the regime is tolerated
and all direct protest is severely suppressed and does not receive
coverage in the local media.[53]
Geography[edit]
Main article: Geography of Tajikistan

TajikistanTajikistan is landlocked, and is the smallest nation in Central Asia
by area. It lies mostly between latitudes 36° and 41° N, and
longitudes 67° and 75° E. It is covered by mountains of the Pamir
range, and more than fifty percent of the country is over 3,000 metres
(9,800 ft) above sea level. The only major areas of lower land
are in the north (part of the Fergana Valley), and in the southern
Kofarnihon and Vakhsh river valleys, which form the Amu Darya.
DushanbeDushanbe is located on the southern slopes above the Kofarnihon
valley.

TajikistanTajikistan consists of 4 administrative divisions. These are the
provinces (viloyat) of
SughdSughd and Khatlon, the autonomous province of
Gorno-BadakhshanGorno-Badakhshan (abbreviated as GBAO), and the Region of Republican
Subordination (RRP – Raiony Respublikanskogo Podchineniya in
transliteration from Russian or NTJ – Ноҳияҳои тобеи
ҷумҳурӣ in Tajik; formerly known as Karotegin Province). Each
region is divided into several districts, (Tajik: Ноҳия, nohiya
or raion), which in turn are subdivided into jamoats (village-level
self-governing units) and then villages (qyshloqs). As of
2006[update], there were 58 districts and 367 jamoats in
Tajikistan.[54]

Division
ISO 3166-2
Map No
Capital
Area (km²)[54]
Pop (2010) Census

Sughd
TJ-SU
1
Khujand
25,400
2,233,500

Region of Republican Subordination
TJ-RR
2
Dushanbe
28,600
1,722,900

Khatlon
TJ-KT
3
Qurghonteppa
24,800
2,677,300

Gorno-Badakhshan
TJ-BG
4
Khorugh
64,200
206,000

Dushanbe

Dushanbe
124.6
778,500

Lakes[edit]

Karakul lake

About 2% of the country's area is covered by lakes, the best known of
which are the following:

Economy[edit]
Main article: Economy of Tajikistan
See also: Agriculture in Tajikistan

A Tajik dry fruit seller

Nearly 47% of Tajikistan's
GDPGDP comes from immigrant remittances
(mostly from
TajiksTajiks working in Russian Federation).[55][56] The
current economic situation remains fragile, largely owing to
corruption, uneven economic reforms, and economic mismanagement. With
foreign revenue precariously dependent upon remittances from migrant
workers overseas and exports of aluminium and cotton, the economy is
highly vulnerable to external shocks. In FY 2000, international
assistance remained an essential source of support for rehabilitation
programs that reintegrated former civil war combatants into the
civilian economy, which helped keep the peace. International
assistance also was necessary to address the second year of severe
drought that resulted in a continued shortfall of food production. On
21 August 2001, the
Red CrossRed Cross announced that a famine was striking
Tajikistan, and called for international aid for
TajikistanTajikistan and
Uzbekistan; however, access to food remains a problem today. In
January 2012, 680,152 of the people living in
TajikistanTajikistan were living
with food insecurity. Out of those, 676,852 were at risk of Phase 3
(Acute Food and Livelihoods Crisis) food insecurity and 3,300 were at
risk of Phase 4 (Humanitarian Emergency). Those with the highest risk
of food insecurity were living in the remote
Murghob DistrictMurghob District of
GBAO.[57]

The
TadAZTadAZ aluminium smelting plant, in Tursunzoda, is the largest
aluminium manufacturing plant in Central Asia, and Tajikistan's chief
industrial asset.

Tajikistan's economy grew substantially after the war. The
GDPGDP of
TajikistanTajikistan expanded at an average rate of 9.6% over the period of
2000–2007 according to the
World BankWorld Bank data. This improved
Tajikistan's position among other Central Asian countries (namely
Turkmenia and Uzbekistan), which seem to have degraded economically
ever since.[58] The primary sources of income in
TajikistanTajikistan are
aluminium production, cotton growing and remittances from migrant
workers.[59]
CottonCotton accounts for 60% of agricultural output,
supporting 75% of the rural population, and using 45% of irrigated
arable land.[60] The aluminium industry is represented by the
state-owned
Tajik Aluminum CompanyTajik Aluminum Company – the biggest aluminium plant in
Central AsiaCentral Asia and one of the biggest in the world.[61]
Tajikistan's rivers, such as the Vakhsh and the Panj, have great
hydropower potential, and the government has focused on attracting
investment for projects for internal use and electricity exports.
TajikistanTajikistan is home to the Nurek Dam, the highest dam in the world.[62]
Lately, Russia's
RAO UES energy giant has been working on the
Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station (670 MW capacity)
commenced operations on 18 January 2008.[63][64] Other projects at the
development stage include Sangtuda-2 by Iran, Zerafshan by the Chinese
company SinoHydro, and the Rogun power plant that, at a projected
height of 335 metres (1,099 ft), would supersede the
Nurek DamNurek Dam as
highest in the world if it is brought to completion.[65][66] A planned
project, CASA-1000, will transmit 1000 MW of surplus electricity from
TajikistanTajikistan to
PakistanPakistan with power transit through Afghanistan. The
total length of transmission line is 750 km while the project is
planned to be on Public-Private Partnership basis with the support of
WB, IFC, ADB and IDB. The project cost is estimated to be around
US$865 million.[67] Other energy resources include sizeable coal
deposits and smaller reserves of natural gas and petroleum.

In 2014
TajikistanTajikistan was the world's most remittance-dependent economy
with remittances accounting for 49% of
GDPGDP and expected to fall by 40%
in 2015 due to the economic crisis in the Russian Federation.[68]
Tajik migrant workers abroad, mainly in the Russian Federation, have
become by far the main source of income for millions of Tajikistan's
people[69] and with the 2014–2015 downturn in the Russian economy
the
World BankWorld Bank has predicted large numbers of young Tajik men will
return home and face few economic prospects.[68]
According to some estimates about 20% of the population lives on less
than US$1.25 per day.[70] Migration from
TajikistanTajikistan and the consequent
remittances have been unprecedented in their magnitude and economic
impact. In 2010, remittances from Tajik labour migrants totalled an
estimated $2.1 billion US dollars, an increase from 2009. Tajikistan
has achieved transition from a planned to a market economy without
substantial and protracted recourse to aid (of which it by now
receives only negligible amounts), and by purely market-based means,
simply by exporting its main commodity of comparative
advantage — cheap labour.[71] The
World BankWorld BankTajikistanTajikistan Policy
Note 2006 concludes that remittances have played an important role as
one of the drivers of Tajikistan's robust economic growth during the
past several years, have increased incomes, and as a result helped
significantly reduce poverty.[72]
Drug trafficking is the major illegal source of income in
Tajikistan[73] as it is an important transit country for Afghan
narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European
markets; some opium poppy is also raised locally for the domestic
market.[74] However, with the increasing assistance from international
organisations, such as UNODC, and co-operation with the US, Russian,
EU and Afghan authorities a level of progress on the fight against
illegal drug-trafficking is being achieved.[75]
TajikistanTajikistan holds third
place in the world for heroin and raw opium confiscations
(1216.3 kg of heroin and 267.8 kg of raw opium in the first
half of 2006).[2][76] Drug money corrupts the country's government;
according to some experts the well-known personalities that fought on
both sides of the civil war and have held the positions in the
government after the armistice was signed are now involved in the drug
trade.[74]
UNODCUNODC is working with
TajikistanTajikistan to strengthen border
crossings, provide training, and set up joint interdiction teams. It
also helped to establish Tajikistani Drug Control Agency.[77]
TajikistanTajikistan is an active member of the Economic Cooperation
Organization (ECO).
Transportation[edit]
Main article: Transport in Tajikistan

In 2013 Tajikistan, like many of the other Central Asian countries,
was experiencing major development in its transportation sector.
As a landlocked country
TajikistanTajikistan has no ports and the majority of
transportation is via roads, air, and rail. In recent years Tajikistan
has pursued agreements with
IranIran and
PakistanPakistan to gain port access in
those countries via Afghanistan. In 2009, an agreement was made
between Tajikistan, Pakistan, and
AfghanistanAfghanistan to improve and build a
1,300 km (810 mi) highway and rail system connecting the
three countries to Pakistan's ports. The proposed route would go
through the
Gorno-BadakhshanGorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in the eastern part
of the country.[78] And in 2012, the presidents of Tajikistan,
Afghanistan, and
IranIran signed an agreement to construct roads and
railways as well as oil, gas, and water pipelines to connect the three
countries.[79]
Rail[edit]
Main article: Rail transport in Tajikistan
The railroad system totals only 680 kilometres (420 mi) of
track,[2] all of it 1,520 mm
(4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) broad gauge. The principal
segments are in the southern region and connect the capital with the
industrial areas of the
HisorHisor and Vakhsh valleys and with Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan,
KazakhstanKazakhstan and Russia.[80] Most international freight
traffic is carried by train.[81] The recently constructed
Qurghonteppa–
KulobKulob railway connected the
KulobKulob District with the
central area of the country.[81]
Air[edit]

In 2009
TajikistanTajikistan had 26 airports, 18 of which had paved runways, of
which two had runways longer than 3,000 meters.[2] The country's main
airport is
DushanbeDushanbe International Airport which as of April 2015, had
regularly scheduled flights to major cities in Russia, Central Asia,
as well as Delhi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Kabul, Tehran, and
Ürümqi amongst others. There are also international flights, mainly
to Russia, from
KhujandKhujand Airport in the northern part of the country as
well as limited international services from
KulobKulob Airport, and
QurghonteppaQurghonteppa International Airport.
Khorog AirportKhorog Airport is a domestic
airport and also the only airport in the sparsely populated eastern
half of the country.
TajikistanTajikistan has two major airlines (
Somon AirSomon Air and Tajik Air) and is
also serviced by over a dozen foreign airlines.
Roads[edit]
The total length of roads in the country is 27,800 kilometres.
Automobiles account for more than 90% of the total volume of passenger
transportation and more than 80% of domestic freight
transportation.[81]
In 2004 the
Tajik–Afghan Friendship BridgeTajik–Afghan Friendship Bridge between
AfghanistanAfghanistan and
TajikistanTajikistan was built, improving the country's access to South Asia.
The bridge was built by the United States.[82]
As of 2014[update] many highway and tunnel construction projects are
underway or have recently been completed. Major projects include
rehabilitation of the
DushanbeDushanbe – Chanak (Uzbek border),
DushanbeDushanbe –
Kulma (Chinese border), and Kurgan-Tube – Nizhny Pyanj (Afghan
border) highways, and construction of tunnels under the mountain
passes of Anzob, Shakhristan, Shar-Shar[83] and Chormazak.[84] These
were supported by international donor countries.[81][85]
Demographics[edit]
Main article: Demographics of Tajikistan

TajikistanTajikistan has a population of 8,734,951 (2016 est.)[3] of which 70%
are under the age of 30 and 35% are between the ages of 14 and 30.[56]
TajiksTajiks who speak Tajik (a dialect of Persian) are the main ethnic
group, although there are sizeable minorities of
UzbeksUzbeks and Russians,
whose numbers are declining due to emigration.[86] The Pamiris of
Badakhshan, a small population of Yaghnobi people, and a sizeable
minority of
IsmailisIsmailis are all considered to belong to the larger group
of Tajiks. All citizens of
TajikistanTajikistan are called Tajikistanis.[2]

Group of Tajik children

In 1989, ethnic
RussiansRussians in
TajikistanTajikistan made up 7.6% of the population,
but they are now less than 0.5%, after the civil war spurred Russian
emigration.[87] The ethnic German population of
TajikistanTajikistan has also
declined due to emigration: having topped at 38,853 in 1979, it has
almost vanished since the collapse of the Soviet Union.[88]
Languages[edit]
The official and vernacular language of
TajikistanTajikistan is Tajik although
Russian is routinely used in business and communication. The
Constitution mentions Russian as the "language for inter-ethnic
communication", but an amendment passed in 2009 was thought to remove
all Russian's official roles,[89] but it was later clarified that the
status was later re-instated and Russian has returned to its status,
being a language permissible for law-making, although all official
communications should formally first take place in Tajik.[90][91]
Russian is regularly used unregulated between different ethnic groups
in the country and thereby fulfilling its stated constitutional role.
Education[edit]
Despite its poverty,
TajikistanTajikistan has a high rate of literacy due to the
old Soviet system of free education, with an estimated 99.5% of the
population having the ability to read and write.[2]
Employment[edit]
In 2009 nearly one million
TajiksTajiks worked abroad (mainly in
Russia).[92] More than 70% of the female population lives in
traditional villages.[93]

v
t
e

Largest cities or towns in Tajikistan
http://www.geonames.org/TJ/largest-cities-in-tajikistan.html

Rank
Name
Province
Pop.

Dushanbe

Khujand
1
Dushanbe
Dushanbe
679,400

Kulob

Qurghonteppa

2
Khujand
Sughd
155,900

3
Kulob
Khatlon
93,900

4
Qurghonteppa
Khatlon
71,000

5
Istaravshan
Sughd
60,200

6
Vahdat
Districts of Republican Subordination
49,100

7
Konibodom
Sughd
47,100

8
Tursunzoda
Districts of Republican Subordination
44,200

9
Isfara
Sughd
40,600

10
Panjakent
Sughd
35,900

Culture[edit]
Main article: Culture of Tajikistan
See also: Music of Tajikistan, Tajik literature, Public holidays in
Tajikistan, and Tajik cuisine

Tajik young women during Navrūz (Persian New Year). They are holding
sprouting plants which symbolize rebirth.

The
Tajik languageTajik language is the mother tongue of around 80% of the citizens
of Tajikistan. The main urban centres in today's
TajikistanTajikistan include
DushanbeDushanbe (the capital), Khujand, Kulob, Panjakent, Qurghonteppa,
KhorughKhorugh and Istaravshan. There are also Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Russian
minorities.
The
Pamiri peoplePamiri people of
Gorno-BadakhshanGorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in the
southeast, bordering
AfghanistanAfghanistan and China, though considered part of
the Tajik ethnicity, nevertheless are distinct linguistically and
culturally from most Tajiks. In contrast to the mostly Sunni Muslim
residents of the rest of Tajikistan, the Pamiris overwhelmingly follow
the
IsmailiIsmaili branch of
ShiaShia Islam, and speak a number of Eastern
Iranian languages, including Shughni, Rushani, Khufi and Wakhi.
Isolated in the highest parts of the Pamir Mountains, they have
preserved many ancient cultural traditions and folk arts that have
been largely lost elsewhere in the country.

Yaghnobi boy

The
Yaghnobi peopleYaghnobi people live in mountainous areas of northern Tajikistan.
The estimated number of Yaghnobis is now about 25,000. Forced
migrations in the 20th century decimated their numbers. They speak the
Yaghnobi language, which is the only direct modern descendant of the
ancient Sogdian language.
TajikistanTajikistan artisans created the
DushanbeDushanbe Tea House, which was
presented in 1988 as a gift to the sister city of Boulder,
Colorado.[94]
Religion[edit]
Main article: Religion in Tajikistan
See also:
IslamIslam in Tajikistan

Religion in Tajikistan, 2010[95][96]

Religion

Percent

Islam

96.7%

Christianity

1.6%

Unaffiliated

1.5%

Other religions

0.2%

A mosque in Isfara, Tajikistan

Sunni
IslamIslam of the
HanafiHanafi school has been officially recognised by the
government since 2009.[97]
TajikistanTajikistan considers itself a secular state
with a Constitution providing for freedom of religion. The Government
has declared two Islamic holidays,
Eid ul-FitrEid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, as
state holidays. According to a
US State DepartmentUS State Department release and Pew
research group, the population of
TajikistanTajikistan is 98% Muslim.
Approximately 87%–95% of them are Sunni and roughly 3% are
ShiaShia and
roughly 7% are non-denominational Muslims.[98][99] The remaining 2% of
the population are followers of Russian Orthodoxy, Protestantism,
ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism and Buddhism. A great majority of Muslims fast during
Ramadan, although only about one third in the countryside and 10% in
the cities observe daily prayer and dietary restrictions.
Bukharan JewsBukharan Jews had lived in
TajikistanTajikistan since the 2nd century BC, but
today almost none are left. In the 1940s, the Jewish community of
TajikistanTajikistan numbered nearly 30,000 people. Most were Persian-speaking
Bukharan JewsBukharan Jews who had lived in the region for millennia along with
Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe who resettled there in the Soviet
era. The Jewish population is now estimated at less than 500, about
half of whom live in Dushanbe.[100]
Relationships between religious groups are generally amicable,
although there is some concern among mainstream
MuslimMuslim leaders[who?]
that minority religious groups undermine national unity. There is a
concern for religious institutions becoming active in the political
sphere. The Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), a major combatant in the
1992–1997 Civil War and then-proponent of the creation of an Islamic
state in Tajikistan, constitutes no more than 30% of the government by
statute. Membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir, a militant Islamic party which
today aims for an overthrow of secular governments and the unification
of
TajiksTajiks under one Islamic state, is illegal and members are subject
to arrest and imprisonment.[101] Numbers of large mosques appropriate
for Friday prayers are limited and some[who?] feel this is
discriminatory.
By law, religious communities must register by the State Committee on
Religious Affairs (SCRA) and with local authorities. Registration with
the SCRA requires a charter, a list of 10 or more members, and
evidence of local government approval prayer site location. Religious
groups who do not have a physical structure are not allowed to gather
publicly for prayer. Failure to register can result in large fines and
closure of place of worship. There are reports that registration on
the local level is sometimes difficult to obtain.[102] People under
the age of 18 are also barred from public religious practice.[103]
As of January, 2016, as part of an "anti-radicalisation campaign",
police in the
KhatlonKhatlon region reportedly shaved the beards of 13,000
men and shut down 160 shops selling the hijab. Shaving beards and
discouraging women from wearing hijab is part of a government campaign
targeting trends that are deemed "alien and inconsistent with Tajik
culture", and "to preserve secular traditions".[104]
Health[edit]
Main article: Health in Tajikistan

A hospital in Dushanbe

Despite repeated efforts by the Tajik government to improve and expand
health care, the system remains extremely underdeveloped and poor,
with severe shortages of medical supplies. The state's Ministry of
Labor and Social Welfare reported that 104,272 disabled people are
registered in
TajikistanTajikistan (2000). This group of people suffers most
from poverty in Tajikistan. The government of
TajikistanTajikistan and the World
Bank considered activities to support this part of the population
described in the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.[105]
Public expenditure on health was at 1% of the
GDPGDP in 2004.[106]
Life expectancyLife expectancy at birth was estimated to be 66.38 years in 2012.[107]
The infant mortality rate was approximately 37 deaths per 1,000
children in 2012.[108] In 2011, there were 170 physicians per 100,000
people.[109]
In 2010 the country experienced an outbreak of polio that caused more
than 457 cases of polio in both children and adults, and resulted in
29 deaths before being brought under control.[110]
Education[edit]

Public education in
TajikistanTajikistan consists of 11 years of primary and
secondary education but the government has plans to implement a
12-year system in 2016.[111] There is a relatively large number of
tertiary education institutions including
KhujandKhujand State University
which has 76 departments in 15 faculties,[111]
TajikistanTajikistan State
University of Law, Business, & Politics,
KhorughKhorugh State University,
Agricultural University of Tajikistan, Tajik National University, and
several other institutions. Most, but not all, universities were
established during the Soviet Era. As of 2008[update] tertiary
education enrolment was 17%, significantly below the sub-regional
average of 37%.[112] Many
TajiksTajiks left the education system due to low
demand in the labour market for people with extensive educational
training or professional skills.[112]
Public spending on education was relatively constant between
2005–2012 and fluctuated from 3.5% to 4.1% of GDP[113] significantly
below the
OECDOECD average of 6%.[112] The
United NationsUnited Nations reported that
the level of spending was "severely inadequate to meet the
requirements of the country’s high-needs education system."[112]
According to a UNICEF-supported survey, about 25 percent of girls in
TajikistanTajikistan fail to complete compulsory primary education because of
poverty and gender bias,[114] although literacy is generally high in
Tajikistan.[106] Estimates of out of school children range from 4.6%
to 19.4% with the vast majority being girls.[112]
In September 2017, the University of
Central AsiaCentral Asia will launch its
second campus in Khorog, Tajikistan, offering majors in Earth &
Environmental Sciences and Economics.[115]
Sport[edit]
The national sport of
TajikistanTajikistan is gushtigiri, a form of traditional
wrestling.[116]
Another popular sport is buzkashi, a game played on horseback, like
polo. One plays it on one's own and in teams. The aim of the game is
to grab a 50 kg dead goat, ride clear of the other players, get
back to the starting point and drop it in a designated circle. It is
also practised in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
UzbekistanUzbekistan and
Turkmenistan. It is often played at
NowruzNowruz celebrations.[117]

TajikistanTajikistan is a popular destination amongst mountaineers. 1982
expedition to Tartu Ülikool 350.

Tajikistan's mountains provide many opportunities for outdoor sports,
such as hill climbing, mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing,
snowboarding, hiking, and mountain climbing. The facilities are
limited, however. Mountain climbing and hiking tours to the Fann and
Pamir Mountains, including the 7,000 m peaks in the region, are
seasonally organised by local and international alpine agencies.
Football is a popular sport in Tajikistan. The
TajikistanTajikistan national
football team competes in
FIFAFIFA and AFC competitions. The top clubs in
TajikistanTajikistan compete in the Tajik League.
The
Tajikistan Cricket Federation was formed in 2012 as the governing
body for the sport of cricket in Tajikistan. It was granted affiliate
membership of the Asian
CricketCricket Council in the same year.
Rugby union in Tajikistan is a minor but growing sport.
Four Tajikistani athletes have won Olympic medals for their country
since independence. They are: wrestler
Yusup Abdusalomov (silver in
Beijing 2008), judoka
Rasul Boqiev (bronze in Beijing 2008), boxer
Mavzuna Chorieva (bronze in London 2012) and hammer thrower Dilshod
Nazarov (gold in Rio de Janeiro 2016).
Khorugh, capital of
Gorno-BadakhshanGorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, is the
location of highest altitude where bandy has been played.[118]
TajikistanTajikistan has also one ski resort, called
Safed DaraSafed Dara (formerly
Takob), near the town of Varzob.[119]
Notable individuals[edit]

References[edit]
This article incorporates public domain material from the
CIA World Factbook website
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html.
This article incorporates public domain material from the
Library of CongressLibrary of Congress Country Studies website
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/.

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Further reading[edit]

Historical Dictionary of
TajikistanTajikistan by Kamoludin Abdullaev and Shahram
Akbarzadeh
Land Beyond the River: The Untold Story of
Central AsiaCentral Asia by Monica
Whitlock
Tajikistan: Disintegration or Reconciliation by Shirin Akiner
Tajikistan: The Trials of Independence by Shirin Akiner, Mohammad-Reza
Djalili and Frederic Grare
TajikistanTajikistan and the High Pamirs by Robert Middleton, Huw Thomas and
Markus Hauser, Odyssey Books,
Hong KongHong Kong 2008
(ISBN 978-9-622177-73-4)